| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1"Listen to me, you coastlands! Pay attention, you people from far away! The LORD called me from the womb; while I was still in my mother's body, he pronounced my name. | 1Coastlands, listen to me; distant peoples, pay attention. The LORD called me before I was born. He named me while I was in my mother's womb. |
| 2He made my mouth like a sharp sword; he hid me in the shadow of his hands. He made me like a polished arrow and hid me away in his quivers. | 2He made my words like a sharp sword; He hid me in the shadow of His hand. He made me like a sharpened arrow; He hid me in His quiver. |
| 3He said to me: 'You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will glorify myself.' | 3He said to me, "You are My Servant, Israel; I will be glorified in him." |
| 4"I said: 'I've labored for nothing. I've exhausted my strength on futility and on emptiness.' Yet surely my recompense is with the LORD, and my reward is with my God. | 4But I myself said: I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nothing and futility; yet my vindication is with the LORD, and my reward is with my God. |
| 5"And now, says the LORD, who formed you from the womb as his servant to bring Jacob back to him so that Israel might be gathered to him— and I am honored in the LORD's sight and my God has been my help — | 5And now, says the LORD, who formed me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him so that Israel might be gathered to Him; for I am honored in the sight of the LORD, and my God is my strength-- |
| 6he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant, to raise up the tribes of Israel and bring back those of Jacob I have preserved. I'll also make you as a light to the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth. | 6He says," It is not enough for you to be My Servant raising up the tribes of Jacob and restoring the protected ones of Israel. I will also make you a light for the nations, to be My salvation to the ends of the earth." |
| 7"This is what my Lord says— the LORD your Redeemer, O Israel, and his Holy One— to one despised by people, to those abhorred as a nation, to the servant of rulers: "Kings see and arise, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, the one who has chosen you." | 7This is what the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, says to one who is despised, to one abhorred by people, to a servant of rulers:" Kings will see and stand up, and princes will bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel--and He has chosen you." |
| 8"This what the LORD says: "I'll answer you in a time of favor, and on a day of salvation I'll help you. I have watched over you, and given you as a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to reassign the inheritances that have been devastated; | 8This is what the LORD says: I will answer you in a time of favor, and I will help you in the day of salvation. I will keep you, and I will appoint you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land, to make them possess the desolate inheritances, |
| 9saying to captives, 'Come out!' and to those who are in darkness, 'Be free!' "They will feed on all the mountains, and their pasture will be on all the barren hills. | 9saying to the prisoners: Come out, and to those who are in darkness: Show yourselves. They will feed along the pathways, and their pastures will be on all the barren heights. |
| 10They won't hunger or thirst, nor will the desert heat or sun beat upon them; for the one who has compassion on them will drive them and guide them alongside springs of water. | 10They will not hunger or thirst, the scorching heat or sun will not strike them; for their compassionate One will guide them, and lead them to springs of water. |
| 11I'll turn all my mountains into a road, and my highways will be raised up. | 11I will make all My mountains into a road, and My highways will be raised up. |
| 12"Watch! They'll come from far away— some from the north and from the west, and others from the Aswan region." | 12See, these will come from far away, from the north and from the west, and from the land of Sinim. |
| 13Shout with joy, you heavens, and rock with glee, you earth! Break out in song, you mountains! The LORD is comforting his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. | 13Shout for joy, you heavens! Earth, rejoice! Mountains break into joyful shouts! For the LORD has comforted His people, and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. |
| 14"But Zion said, 'The LORD has abandoned me, and my God has forgotten me.' | 14Zion says, "The LORD has abandoned me; The Lord has forgotten me!"" |
| 15"Can a woman forget her nursing child, or have no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these mothers may forget; But as for me, I'll never forget you! | 15Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you. |
| 16Look! I've inscribed you on the palms of my hands, and your walls are forever before me. | 16Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me. |
| 17Your builders are working faster than your destroyers, and those who devastated you go away from you. | 17Your builders hurry; those who destroy and devastate you will leave you. |
| 18Lift up your eyes and look around— they have all gathered together and are coming to you. "As surely as I live," says the LORD, "you will clothe yourself with all of them like ornaments, and tie them on like a bride. | 18Look up, and look around. They all gather together; they come to you. As I live"-- this is the LORD's declaration--" you will wear all your children as jewelry, and put them on as a bride does. |
| 19Indeed, your ruins, your desolate places, and your devastated land will now be too crowded for your inhabitants, while those who swallowed you up will be far away. | 19For your waste and desolate places and your land marked by ruins-- will now be indeed too small for the inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away. |
| 20"The children who are grieving at present will yet say in your hearing, 'This place is too crowded for me; make room for me, so I may have a place to live.' | 20Yet as you listen, the children that you have been deprived of will say, This place is too small for me; make room for me so that I may settle.' |
| 21Then you'll ask in your heart, 'Who bore these children for me, although I was childless and barren, and an exile and cast aside? Who brought these up? Look! For my part I was left all alone; but as for these, where have they come from?' | 21Then you will say within yourself, Who fathered these for me? I was deprived of my children and unable to conceive, exiled and wandering-- but who brought them up? See, I was left by myself-- but these, where did they come from?'" |
| 22"For this what the LORD says, 'Watch! I'll lift up my hand to the nations and raise my banner to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders.' | 22This is what the Lord GOD says: Look, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise My banner to the peoples. They will bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders. |
| 23"Oh, yes! Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens will be your nursing mothers. They will bow to you with their faces to the ground, and lick the dust from your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed. | 23Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground, and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am Yahweh; those who put their hope in Me will not be put to shame. |
| 24"Can they seize plunder from warriors, or can the captives of tyrants be rescued? | 24Can the prey be taken from the mighty, or the captives of the righteous be delivered? |
| 25But this is what the LORD says: "He will seize even the warriors' plunder, and the captives of tyrants will be rescued. I myself will quarrel with those who have a quarrel with you, and I myself will save your children. | 25For this is what the LORD says:" Even the captives of a mighty man will be taken, and the prey of a tyrant will be delivered; I will contend with the one who contends with you, and I will save your children. |
| 26"I'll make those who mistreat you eat their own flesh, and they will get drunk on their own blood, as with new wine. "Then all mankind will know that I am the LORD your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." | 26I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they will be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. Then all flesh will know that I, Yahweh, am your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." |
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